Grooming Your Chinese Shar-Pei
A “Wash and Wear” Dog
This is the easy part. The healthy Shar-Pei is a clean, easy-care, “wash and wear” dog. Some Shar-Pei may occasionally have skin problems, which will need a little more care, but for the most part your dog will need only an occasional bath. Some Shar-Pei seem to impart a natural “perfume” that is pleasant smelling; these dogs need bathing even less often. Too many baths can dry out the skin. In between baths, an occasional rubdown with a damp cloth will keep the surface of his coat, underbelly and face clean.
Make bath time a pleasant time, gently rubbing and talking to your dog and telling him what a “good boy (or girl)” he or she is. Although most Shar-Pei hate water, they can learn to enjoy baths if they don’t become stressful situations.
Allowing water to get in the ears can lead to an ear infection. Be very careful not to let the water get above the neck. By placing cotton or lamb’s wool (available at your drugstore) in her ears during the bath, you will be sure that no water gets in.
There are so many types of dog shampoos on the market, it is difficult to know just what is best for your dog. The varieties are endless: herbal, cream, mink oil, protein degreasing, moisturizing pearls, flea and tick formulas, ad infinitum. Because the Shar-Pei has a harsh coat, you do not want to use a softening agent in your shampoo or a cream rinse unless you are extremely allergic to their harsh coats. Many owners complain, “My dog makes me break out! If I hug him, my arms have little red bumps!” You can lessen this allergic reaction by using a softening agent in his rinse water. His harsher coat can be sacrificed for your comfort unless you have a show dog who will be judged on the harshness of his coat.
Some Shar-Pei with dry skin will have dandruff, which shows up more on the black dogs. Bathing these dogs more often will only dry out their skin even more. Instead, use one of the non-drying dermatology spray products between baths. For the dog who has no skin problems, a non-s drying type of canine shampoo (never use detergents) should be used, and always rinse well. If you think you have rinsed enough, rinse a little more. Pull the wrinkles apart and rinse in between so that you don’t leave any soap residue that can cause irritation and itching. For the dog who has experienced skin problems, you will want to use an antibacterial shampoo and perhaps an antiallergic rinse or spray.
Shedding
Shar-Pei don’t really need routine brushing except when they are shedding, but it does help to produce healthy circulation in the skin and remove dead hair. Unlike many other breeds, Shar-Pei have no undercoat that needs removing. When they shed hair, it naturally falls out instead of remaining next to the skin. A good natural-bristle brush will do for day-to-day brushing.
Shar-Pei usually shed their coats twice a year. Every dog has his own cycle and usually sheds once between early spring and early summer and again between Thanksgiving and New “Year. During these times, you can run your hand across the back of the dog and come up with a handful of hair. These shedding cycles are referred to by breeders as “blowing their coat.” There are several products on the market that will help remove this dead hair: rubber mitts, which have rubber “teeth” (grooming gloves); metal currying brushes (“slickers”, sometimes too abrasive on the very short coats); and (the product I like best) the “shedding blade,” a long stainless steel blade with teeth that can be looped around and secured to form a handle. When using one of these blades, it is best to use it outside as it will pull out copious amounts of shedding hair. The shedding cycle of the Shar-Pei may seem endless, sometimes lasting for a month, but when completed, the dog has a beautiful new coat During these cycles, you may want to insist that your dog stay off the furniture because their short bristly hair sticks in upholstery and is very difficult to remove. (Yes, my dogs do have access to my furniture as well as to my bed.)
Eye Care
Eye care and the problems connected with eye disease are discussed more extensively, but for the vast majority bf Shar-Pei, you will need to do very little in the way of eye health care. Only occasionally, you may see a little matter exuding from the eyes, particularly in the morning when the dog wakes up. Simply clean this with a damp soft cloth. Pollen season can cause some running of the eyes, and the same procedure applies.
Ear Care
Routine ear cleaning is necessary only every couple of weeks unless your Shar-Pei has very small ear canals or excess wax buildup. Clean the outer ear with a damp cotton ball dipped in a little alcohol or baby oil. A cotton swab dipped in the same solutions can be used to clean only the outer portion of the ear canal, carefully removing the wax. Do not push the swab too far into the ear canal, this can damage the ear. If you notice a foul odor or any sort of drainage (pus) coming from the ear canal, this usually indicates an ear infection. See your veterinarian for the proper medication. A very dark or black residue in the ears can indicate the presence of parasitic ear mites. Very tight or small ear canals may lead to chronic yeast infections. Again, check this out with your veterinarian.